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Laughing Jack
James Gant, commonly known as Laughing Jack, was the captain of the gambling casino ship The Lady Luck. He is the brother of Tom and Ava and a servant of The Shadow Lord. History James Gant was born in the plains territory, alongside his siblings Tom and Ava. The three of them had a psychic link that allowed them all to know the thoughts of the other, as if they were of one mind. When they came of age, the siblings split up, with James traveling the furthest from his home. His travels brought him in contact with the Shadow Lord, whome he swore service to in exchange for power. Afterwards, James got himself a gambling ship called the Lady Luck, and a crew to work it. They sailed along Deltora's west, cheating people of money and forcing them to row the oars when they couldn't pay it back. James also used his magic to enchant the games room, so that people couldn't escape until their dept had been payed. Arrival in Bone Point About a year before Lief set out on his quest, the Shadow Lord commanded James to put out the Bone Point Lighthouse. He sought to acheive this by indepting the keeper of the light, Red Han. However, Red Han refused to put the light out. Gaunt kidnapped his daughter, Verity, and promised that she would only be returned when the light was put out. Gaunt commanded the Lady Luck to remain docked outside the Light House, and had Verity tied to the prow of the ship so her father could watch her die from exposure. Despite this, not only did Red Han refuse to put out the light, but the seabirds provided Verity with food and water, and all clouds and wind left Bone Point. This essentially stranded the ship, as there were no slaves to rowe it. Gant's crew began to grow restless, and suggested freeing Verity to break the curse, but he refused. One day, they attempted a mutiny and tried to free Verity by force, but Gant explained they no longer needed her anyways. By now the Shadow Lord had destroyed the Belt of Deltora and scattered the gems, which ment the ship could return to the River Tor. However, none of the crew were willing to go, as the chances of drowning at the oars was significant. Gant was able to change their minds by promising all the gold he currently owned, and should he take a single peice, he would take to the oars. In exchange, the crew would rowe the ship until new slaves could be aquired. The crew agreed to the deal (after killing those who didn't), and Verity swore to them all that their words would condem them. After his crew went to the oars, Gant remained on deck with Verity. She taunted him about his failure at Bone Point, which prompted him to stab her through the heart. As Verity died, the ocean suddenly sprung into a violent storm that struck the Lady Luck, killing all the crew. Gaunt was only able to survive thanks to the Shadow Lord's intervention. With his ship gone, Gaunt became a traveling nomad under the name Laughing Jack. He turned Red Han into a black horse, and forced him to pull his new wagon. As a nomad, Gant continued to scam people out of money, and even killed some people when he wasn't satisfied with the value of their belongings. Shadowgate Laughing Jack's reputation had earned him the hatred of Steven, who would have killed him long ago if he didn't use magic to hide his trail. Also, he came into the posession of Honey, Bella, and Swift after they were seperated from Lief, Barda, and Jasmine. Using his magic, he turned them into black horses (or in Swift's case, made her larger) and hitched them to his wagon alongside Red Han. Under the orders of Kirsten, Laughing Jack waited at the Riverdale Signpost for Zerry , who had stolen the Belt of Deltora from Lief under Fern's instructions. One he had Zerry, he made his way to the Funnel to dispose of him and the Belt. However, the companions and Steven were able to deduce the code Kirsten used to contact him and Fern, and followed him. Steven distracted Jack while Lief and Jasmine serched for the Belt. He quickly caught on, however, and scrambled to escape — kicking away a sack in the proccess that held Zerry and the Belt inside. Lief realized this, and called for Steven to help him and Jasmine retreive the bag before it fell into the Funnel, allowing Jack to get away. The Isle of the Dead Jack made his way to the Finger, where his sister Ava had a shop. He assumed her identity when the companions came to ask for transportation to the Isle of the Dead. Jack gave them Ava's last boat, but told them nothing about the dangers on Blood Lilly Island, or the Kobb. Neverthelass, the companions destroyed the Sister of the West with the help of Veritas. Realizing he'd failed yet again, Jack tried to escape, but was confronted by the companions. He captured Jasmine and threatened to kill her if Lief or Barda followed him, before offering a deal. If they gave the Belt of Deltora to Ava, he would return Jasmine, then dispose of the Belt and his sister. Lief refused, and Ava warned her brother that she saw death in his future. At that moment, Jasmine tossed a bag containing gold from the Dread Gnomes in front of him. Jack greedily claimed the gold without a moment hesitation. However, unbeknownst to him, Lief and Barda had been aboard the Lady Luck at Bone Point, and kept a gold coin from it, which Jasmine had hidden inside the bag. By taking the gold, he had broken his oath to crew, and was transported onto the deck of the Lady Luck. He was last scene being dragged below deck by his undead crew, cursed with eternal life for their greed. Physical appearance James is a tall, thin man who bears a resemblance to his brother Tom. In his youth, his hair was black, as seen in the vision Lief, Barda, Jasmine and the kin witnessed in the Bone Point lighthouse. His hair was pushed behind James' prominent ears. In Shadowgate, when Lief and Jasmine first encounter him, his hair is much thinner, tied back in a braid as skinny as a rat's tail. He has hollow, dark eyes. In Isle of the Dead, James disguises himself as his sister Ava, dying his hair brown, powdering his face, wearing her blindfold and dressing in her clothes in order to deceive Lief and his companions and give them advice he is sure will lead to their deaths. Personality James is greedy, cunning and deceitful. He manipulates people to get what he wants, preying on the desperate and gullible. When he was the captain of The Lady Luck, he would trick people into far deeper debt than they expected by charging three coins for every one they loaned from him to play his games. Later, when he traveled the land as Laughing Jack, he used similar tactics, loaning a certain amount and then demanding several times the original sum from his victims. He is also a coward, and will sacrifice anything to protect his own skin. Abilities In his youth, James and his siblings were linked mind to mind. He rarely makes use of this gift after he joins the Shadow Lord, but his thoughts sometimes reach Tom or Ava without his knowledge. His master also granted him some magic powers, as evidenced by the shutting spell on the door of the gambling room on The Lady Luck, and his ability to transform Red Hann into a horse and disguise Honey, Bella and Swift. He also possessed quick reflexes, and was at times described moving like a gangly spider. Relatives Appearances ''Deltora Quest'' Deltora Quest 3 *"Shadowgate " *"Isle of the Dead" References See also *The Lady Luck Category:Characters Category:Antagonists Category:Servants of the Shadow Lord Category:Post-Adin Deltorans Category:Plains (tribe) Category:Minor characters Category:Deceased Category:Magic users